Mascot Monday: Saint Louis Billikens

We love college pride, we love sports, and we especially love alliteration (sorry, nerd status!) so Mascot Monday is our attempt at combining all 3 things! Each week we will feature a different, random college mascot, just because. Maybe because we think it’s weird, maybe we think it’s hilarious, or maybe it’s just totally awesome (or some combination of all three!) Check back every Monday to see if we feature your school! Want us to feature your school’s mascot? Comment, email us, or tweet @SurvivinCollege with the tag #MascotMonday!

So, uh, what exactly is a billiken? (This seems to be one of those mascots that falls under the “weird” category…) Well, good question. Wikipedia tells us that a billiken is “a charm doll created by an American art teacher and illustrator, Florence Pretz of St. Louis, Missouri, who is said to have seen the mysterious figure in a dream.” (P.S. As a college resource, we really want to tell you not to trust everything you see on Wikipedia, just saying. But, then again, you should know that already!) The school’s own website doesn’t do much of a job defining their strange but oddly adorable mascot, but they do provide some interesting information on him! They say he’s a symbol of good luck (and thankfully the site reinforces what Wikipedia says about Florence Pretz, ha!)

SLU writes of their odd mascot, “Before he was Saint Louis University’s mascot, he was a national sensation, a figure who was turned into dolls, marshmallow candies, metal banks, hatpins, pickle forks, belt buckles, auto hood ornaments, salt and pepper shakers and glass bottles. Though they look a little different in each version, Billikens always possess cheery personalities, broad smiles and rotund bellies.” Aww! Kind of like a weird Santa Claus! Except…not.

Strange or not, we think the Billiken is a great mascot – not only is it unique (You don’t see us featuring bulldogs on here, do you? No offense to all our readers whose mascots are bulldogs!) but it is supposed to represent good luck; perfect for sporting events!

What do you think of the Saint Louis Billikens? Let us know!

Since the 7th grade, Brittney M. Helmrich has been fascinated by the Cold War – her favorite Dr. Seuss book is The Butter Battle Book and she totally nerds out when anyone talks about nuclear weapons. She is a vegetarian who has an almost unhealthy obsession with shoes and makeup, a soft spot for giraffes and sting rays, and a serious addiction to Pinterest.